Catalytic igniter for gaseous fuels



Sept. 17, 1946. R. s. TAYLOR CATALYTIC IGNITER FOR GA SEOUS FUELS Filed April 12, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WENT/QR BY ATTORNEY Sept, 1?, 146. R. s. TAYLOR 2,497,729

CATALYTIC IGNITER FOR GASEOUS FUELS Filed April 12, 1944 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 17, 1945 CATALYTIC IGNITER FOR GASEOUS FUELS Robert S. Taylor, Evansville, Ind., assignor to Servel, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application April 12, 1944, Serial No. 530,673

9 Claims.

My invention relates to ignition devices and more particularly to automatic catalytic lighters for domestic gas ranges.

Catalytic igniters have been used heretofore for igniting illuminating gas. However, due to the fact that the various gases used contain impurities which tend to poison the catalyst, these igniters have not proven entirely satisfactory.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a catalytic igniter wherein fuel gas is i nited without poisoning the catalyst.

It is a particular object of my invention to provide an automatic igniter for gas ranges wherein a pure fluid such as one of the alcohols is used as an auxiliary fuel.

It is another particular object of my invention to provide an automatic igniter for gas ranges wherein the opening of any one gas cook simultaneously operates said igniter without interfering with the setting of the other gas ccks,'and wherein the opened gas cook will be automatically returned to its closed position in the event that that particular gas cook has not been initially opened beyond a predetermined point.

These and other objects of my invention will be apparent from the following description taken with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, and wherein:

. Fig. 1. is a partial top plan view of a gas range, partly in section, illustrating one embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view, partly in section, taken substantially on line 2--2 of Fig; 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail showing of a cam and bellows arrangement when the gas cock is in closed position;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but with the gas cock fully open;

Fig. 6 is a broken top plan view of a gas range illustrating a second embodiment of my invention;

Fig. '7 is a vertical sectional view on line 1-! of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a top plan view, partly in section, of a bellows operating mechanism;

Fi 9 is a vertical sectional view on line 9-9 of Fig. '7;

Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view on line lO-IU of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional view on line of Fig. 6.

Referring now to Figs. 1-5 inclusive wherein one embodiment of my invention is illustrated and wherein like reference characters are used to designate like parts, the numeral 20 designates a gas range having a conventional burner 2| and gas cock 22. A bellows 23 is mounted along side the gas cock and is operated by a cam 24 mounted on the gas cook. An air conduit 25 leads from the bellows and is connected to an auxiliary fuel container 26. Container 26 is provided with a removable cap 21 by which the container may be filled with an alcohol or other highly volatile and combustible auxiliary fuel which does not have any detrimental effect on the catalyst. Container 26 is partly filled with a loose fibrous material 28 which is held in place by a wire screen 29. A conduit 30, of relatively small cross-section, leads from container 26 and is connected to a spherical igniter 3|. The igniter is filled with a granular catalytic material 32 which may be platinum black or any other suitable catalytic material. The catalyst is held in place by means of wire screens 33, the mesh of which is close enough to hold the catalytic material in place and still loose enough to permit gas and the flame thereof to pass through said screen. A flash tube 34 leads from gas burner 2| and is removably connected to igniter 3| by means of removable clips 35; the arrangement is such that an air space 36 is provided between said tube and said igniter. Check valves 31 and 31 are provided in the bellows 23 and in the connection 38 between conduit 30 and igniter 3|, respectively.

The operation of this igniter is as follows, when gas cock 22 is opened fuel gas flows to burner 2| and simultaneous with the opening. of the gas cook, cam 24 compresses bellows 23 forcing air through conduit 25 into container 26 and through conduit 30 into igniter 3|. This air in passing through container 26 picks up alcohol vapor therefrom and carries said vapor to the catalytic material 32 where it is oxidized by the air in the presence of the catalyst. The oxidation of the alcohol vapor generates a, high temperature in the catalyst which ignites the vapor, which in turn ignites fuel gas which passes from the burner 2| through flash tube 34 and the flame is carried back through said tube to lgnite the gas at the burner. The amount of al- .cohol vapor that is forced over the catalytic material each time the gas cock is opened is eX- ceedingly small; therefore, the necessity for refilling the container with, alcohol would be very infrequent.

Referring now to Figs. 6 to 11 inclusive, wherein a second embodiment'of my inventionis illustrated, the numeral 40 designates a gas range equipped with conventional burners 4|. Each burner is provided with a jet 4| which directs fuel gas into flash tubes 42 leading from the burners to a central igniter 43. This igniter consists of a housing 44 provided with a removable cover 45 which is provided with openings 46. The bottom of the housing is provided with openings 41. A catalytic igniter 48 consisting of a plurality of strands of platinum or platinum-rhodium wire is mounted on an annulus 49 which is screw-threaded onto a vapor conduit The arrangement is such that by removing the cover 45 the igniter is accessible and may be removed for inspection or repair. A conduit 5|, of relatively small cross-section, leads from an. auxiliary fuel container 52 and is connected by means of a sleeve 53 to vapor conduit 50.. The sleeve 53 is provided with a check valve 54.

This range 40 is provided with a conventional gas manifold 55, gas conduits 55' and gas cocks 56. A U-shaped channel member 51 is mounted under the gas cocks and is welded to or otherwise fixedly secured to supports 58.v A plurality of bolts or sliding members 59, one for each gas. cock, fit snugly within channel 51 and are guided for limited reciprocal movement therein by means of a pivot pin 60 which travels in guides 6|v in each side of the channel. A trigger 62 is pivotally mounted on. pivot pin. 65 within each bolt 59.

Each of these-triggers is provided on its upper surface with a flat horizontal portion 63. and an inclined or cam portionv 64; the horizontal portion is substantially flush with the topof the bolt. A spring 65 is mounted in an opening in the triggel.- and tends to rotate the trigger in a counterclockwise direction. A detent 66 is provided. at one end of each trigger and fits under a ledge 6.1 on. the bolt to limit counter-clockwise rotation of the trigger. A latch 68 projects downward from the opposite end of the trigger and engages the end 69 of a slot in plunger 1|. This plunger H, which is provided with a plurality of slots 10', one under each trigger, is mounted for sliding movement under the channel 51 and is provided at one end with a dash. pct 12 which is fixedly mounted on the channel. A spring 13 encircles the rounded portion 14 of plunger H with one end thereof bearing against one head of. the dash pot and the other end bearin against a piston which is attached to the rod 74. By this means the plunger II is biased toward the position shown in Fig. 7. The opposite end of plunger TI contacts a bellows T6 which is connected by a conduit 11 to the auxiliary fuel container 52. This bellows is provided with a spring pressed check valve (not shown) similar to the check valve 31 of Fig. 5. An arm 18 is rigidly attached to the lower portion of each of the gas cocks 56 and is adapted to be rotated with the gas cook to slide an adjacent bolt 59 to the left as viewed in Fig. 6.

The operation of the igniter illustrated in Figs. 6 to 11 inclusive is as follows, when any one of the gas cocks 5*6'is opened to admit fuel gas to its particular burner the arm 18. of. that gas cook contacts the adjacent trigger 62 sliding it and its attached bolt 59 to the left as viewed in Fig. 6 with the result that latch 68 pushes the plunger TI to the left compressing the bellows l6 forcing air through conduit 11, auxiliary fuel container 52. conduits 5| and 5|] into the igniter. This air inv passing through the container 52 picks up alcohol vapor and carries said vapor to. the platinum wires of the igniter where the vapor is oxidized by the air in the presence of the platinum wires. As stated above, the oxidation of thisvaper generates a high temperature in platinum wires causing them to glow and ignite the fuel gas which passes from burner jet 4| through flash tube 42. The flame then passes back through the flash tube and ignites the fuel gas at that particular burner.

The arms 18 and triggers 62 are so proportional and arranged that when a gas cock has been turned through approximately 45, in other words, about one-half open, the arm slides past the end of the trigger and the dash (pot 12 operates to return the plunger H to its original position. The plunger in returning to its original position carries the trigger 62 and attached bolt 59 to their original positions. Travel of each of the bolts 59 is limited by pivot pins 65 which travel in guide ways 6| on each side of the channel 51.

After a. gas cook has been turned through 45 and the plunger and bolt have been returned to their original positions the gas cook may be adjusted toany desired setting without;v being interfered with by'the adjacent bolt and trigger. In other words, the arm 18 may be freelymoved back and forth above the trigger and when the gas cock is turned to the off position arm 18 rides over the top of the inclined portion 64 of. the trigger depressing it into. the slotted portion of the bolt. In order to insure ignition of the fuel gas each time a gas cock is opened, the gas cook must be turned through at least 45, otherwise the dash pot in returning the plunger to its inactive position will return the gas cock to its closed position, If, on the other hand, the gas cook has been turned through or beyond 45, the bellows will supply adequate air and alcohol vapor to the igniter to ignite the fuel gas, and since the operating arm has slipped past the trigger the return of the plunger, bolt and trigger has no effect on the open gas cook. Also it is to be noted that with the arrangement illustrated in Figs. 6 to 11 inclusive the opening of any gas cook will automatically ignite the fuel gas at that burner, andv that the opening of any one gas cook has no effect upon the setting of any other of the gas cocks. This is true because of the slots T0 in the plunger and of the independent movement of the bolts 59 relative to each other.

While I have illustrated and described but two specific embodiments of my invention it is obvious that theinvention may take many other forms. Also, while the invention. has been illustrated in connection with the top burners of a gas range, it obviously may be used with equal facility with the oven and broiler burners. or, as a matter of fact, with anygas burner. It is therefore to be understood that my invention is limited only by the following claims.

I claim:

1. An ignition device for fuel gas comprising a gas burner, a gas cook for supplying gas to said burner, a reservoir for an auxiliary fuel, means for delivering air to said reservoir, a catalytic igniter, and mechanism operated by movement of said gas cock for operating said air supply means for delivering air and entrained auxiliary fuel from said reservoir to said catalytic igniter to ignite the fuel gas supplied to said burner.

2. An igniter for fuel gas comprising a gas burner, a gas cock for supplyingfuel gas to said burner, a reservoir for auxiliary fuel, a catalytic igniter, a bellows for supplying air to. said reservoir, a conduit leading from said reservoir to said igniter, and mechanism connected to said gas cock for operating said bellows simultaneously with the opening of said gas cock.

3. An igniter for fuel gas comprising a gas burner, a gas cock for regulating the supply of fuel gas to said burner, a reservoir for an auxiliary fuel, a catalytic igniter, a conduit connecting said reservoir to said igniter, an air pump connected to said reservoir, and mechanism operated by movement of said gas cock for operating said air pump.

4. An automatic gas igniter comprising a gas burner, a valve for controlling the supply of gas to said burner, a, catalytic igniter, a reservoir for an auxiliary combustible fluid, a conduit connecting said reservoir to said igniter, mechanism operated by movement of said valve for supplying auxiliary combustible fluid from said reservoir to said catalytic igniter simultaneous with the supply of gas to said burner, and means for directing gas from said burner to said igniter.

5. An igniter for domestic gas ranges comprising a plurality of gas burners, a gas supply valve for each of said burners, a common catalytic igniter for said burners, flash tubes leading from said burners to said catalytic igniter, a reservoir for an auxiliary combustible fluid, a conduit connecting said reservoir to said catalytic igniter, and mechanism operatively connected to each of said valves for supplying auxiliary combustible fluid from said reservoir to said igniter.

6. An igniter for domestic gas ranges comprising a plurality of gas burners, a gas supply valve for each of said burners, a common catalytic igniter for said plurality of burners, means for directing gas to said igniter, a reservoir for an auxiliary fluid, a conduit connecting said reservoir with said igniter, an air pump connected to said reservoir to supply air and entrained combustible fluid to said catalytic igniter.

7. An igniter for gas ranges comprising a plurality of burners, a gas supply valve for each of said burners, a catalytic igniter, means for supplying gas to said catalytic igniter, a reservoir for an auxiliary combustible fluid, a conduit connecting said reservoir to said catalytic igniter, an air pump connected to said reservoir, and mechanism operatively connected to each of said gas supply valves for independently operating said air pump for supplying air and entrained combustible fluid to said catalytic igniter.

8. An igniter for ga ranges comprising a plurality of burners, a gas supply and regulating valve for each of said burners, a catalytic igniter, means for directing gas from each of said burners to said catalytic igniter, a reservoir containing an auxiliary combustible fluid, a conduit connecting said reservoir to said catalytic igniter, an air pump connected to said reservoir, mechanism operatively connected to and operated by each of said valves for operating aid air pump upon opening of any one of the gas valves, and structure operatively connected to said mechanism for returning said one gas valve to its closed position in the event that said one valve is not initially opened beyond a predetermined point.

9. A gas range comprising a plurality of gas burners, a gas valve for each of said burners, a catalytic igniter, flash tubes located between said burners and said igniter, a reservoir containing a combustible fluid, a conduit leading from said reservoir to said igniter, an air pump connected to said reservoir, and mechanism operatively connected to each of said valves for actuating said air pump simultaneous With the opening of any one of said valves, whereby air and entrained combustible vapor is supplied to said igniter.

ROBERT S. TAYLOR. 

